Opener for glass-topped jars.



DE WITT C. RELYEA.

OPENER FOR GLASS TOPPEDJARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-1.19m.

Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

' /Z/ 1 v I z WITNESSES IIWENTOR j e Mf/Cfie/ea/ I By M Armin/5'8 DE WI'IT C. RELYEA, OF COSCOB, CONNECTICUT.

OPENER FOR GLASS-TOPPED T all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, DE Wrr'r C. RELYEA, a

- citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident the cover is of glass, or its equivalent, as disof Coscob, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Opener for Glass-Topped Jars, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description.

This invention relates to household devices and has'particular reference .to means for opening fruit jars or the like.

More definitely stated the primary object of the invention is to provide means for easily, quickly and safely lifting or removing the glass top of a vacuum sealed fruit jar, or its equivalent.

The process of preserving fruit by means of jars having lids or covers held by internal vacuum is now so, fast taking the place of the previously used screw tops, that it is important to provide a means whereby the glass top so held may be lifted or the vacuum broken without danger or injury to the operator or likelihood of chipping or break- ;ing any portion of the cover or ar. Since -tinguished from a metal top, it cannot be punctured for the purpose of admitting air, and hence a. tool, such as a sharp knife point or the like, is commonly introduced beneath the edge of the cover, a dangerous and troublesome expedient.

With theforegoing and'other objects in View the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is bad to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which-- Figure 1 is a plan 'view of my complete device showing the parts adjusted for application to a large jar cover and indicating in dotted lines the adjustment for a smaller jar cover.

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

F ig. 3 is a perspective anchor member; and

Fig. 4; is avertical sectional View of a glass jar and its cover, and indicating the point of application of the hoop.

detail View of the Specification, of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1'7, 1918.

Application filed March 7,1918. Serial No. 220,98

Referring now more particularly to the draw ngs I show my 'dGVlCe as comprising three principal parts, first, a rigid handle or lever 10 made preferably of straight fiat material; a hoop 11 of multiple-strand or twisted wire or cable, and an anchor member 12.

One end of the hoop is provided with a loop 13 through which a clevis 14 projects,

said clevis being connected to the end of the lever 10 by means of a pivot member 15 shown as arlvet, or its equivalent, having relatively flat or rounded ends and project-- ing through a hole 16 in the end of the lever. The clevis thus is adapted for free rotation around the axis of the pivot for coo eration on either side of the lever. The length of the hoop is proportioned to standard sizes of fruit jars, and to its other end is fixed the anchor member 12 shown in detail in Fig. 3 and in operation in Fig. 1.

The anchor comprises a rigid piece of heavy wire or jar metal bent upon itself forming a loop or eye 17, but with one free end longer than the other. The two leg portions 18 and 19 of the anchor are of unequal. length though they lie against each other and in the same plane. Each leg terminates in a hook 18' or 19 res 'iectively but the hooks project in opposite directions from the plane of the legs.

The lever not far remote from the pivot 15 is provided with a plurality of holes 20 in any one of which either of the hooks of the anchor is adapted to be inserted according to the precise length of the hoop or the amount of leverage required to effect the purpose. In any event, however. the effec tive length of i lie lever between the pivot ,15 and the point of application of the hook is relatively short so that when the parts are connected and slipped for the top 21 of the jar just outsideof the gasket 23 and the longer end of the lever is moved in the direction of the arrow.thereon the hoop will wedge or cut its way directly in. between the cap flange and the shoulder of the jar and since the hoop is made of multiple-strand wire cable air is admitted freely through and past it beneath the cap flange the momentthe cap'begins to lift. Obviously as soon as air is admitted the cap may be freely lifted by hand from the jar. \Vith the device applied as indicated it is in'ipossible even for a novr:e to either crush, break or chip any application of very little. force a cap held part of the jar or its cover, and yet with the by a high degree of vacuum may be readily lifted or removed.

It will-be notedthat since the hoop is flexible and is connected to turn freely about the end of the lever it is expedient .for the device to be applied either as alright handed or left handed tool, the operation being just the same. The rounded anchorage end of the lever, at or Within the clevis, engages directly against ,the rubber gasket when force is applied to thehandleendoit the lever, and so While such rounded end or point may enter slightly beneath the cap, the rounded rivet heads coming into contact with the periphery' of the ca and adjacent shoulder part of the-jar ac as. limiting stops to prevent any part of the device- I m tten er a patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addreaelngg the -Gommfieamner oi? Enteritis.

from chipping, crushing, or 1.Cracking the anchoring member comprising a piece-of wire bent upon itself to fo rrn an fjye to Which-the other end of the cable iss'ecured and two parallel members of unequal length;

each terminating in a hook adaptedto engage an opening of the lever, the hooks rojecting inopposite directions from. the p ane 35 of the members.

DE Wrrir o-nELYEAu 

